


Beating Hearts

by the_lady_of_lothlorien



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-05
Updated: 2016-03-22
Packaged: 2018-05-18 07:33:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5906497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_lady_of_lothlorien/pseuds/the_lady_of_lothlorien
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eren Jaeger and Levi Ackerman are partners at the South Maria Police Department. An abnormally slow day on the job quickly changes pace when they are called to a bank robbery across town.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beating Hearts is dedicated to all of my wonderful friends of the Shawnsquad, who have inspired me to give this a shot. I love you all so much!
> 
> Also, a huge thank you to Mari, my Beta Reader, who made sure I didn't make a complete ass of myself! Check out her tumblr @haganenoheichou

“Knock it off," Levi grumbled, digging his elbow into Eren’s ribs before turning his attention back to the paperwork spread out in front of him on the table. Eren had been trying to convince Levi for almost a week that he needed to join him and the rest of the officers of the South Maria Police Department down at the bar to celebrate Levi’s recent promotion to Sergeant, and, by the looks of it, he wasn’t about to give up any time soon.  
  
“Leeeviii…” Eren drawled, dragging out the syllables in the man’s name. He scooted closer to Levi on the bench and nudged his arm with his elbow.  
  
_It’s too early for this shit,_ Levi thought to himself and sighed, keeping his eyes fixed on the stack of papers he was organizing as he tried to avoid making eye contact with Eren. He felt bad telling him no. It wasn’t that he disliked Eren; actually, he rather enjoyed the young man’s company. Aside from Hanji, Eren was probably Levi’s closest and most trusted friend. It was the idea of going out to a bar that made Levi cringe.

"I already told you I don’t want to go."  
  
"Come on!" Eren whined. "We have to celebrate! This is a big deal, Levi, even if you want to pretend that it’s not."  
  
It _was_ a big deal. Levi had been training day and night for months to earn this promotion. Even though Levi wasn’t one to outwardly show excitement (or any other emotion for that matter), Eren had seen first-hand how hard he had been working for this. After all, he and Levi had been partners for almost two years now, and Eren would be damned if he was going to let all of his friend’s effort go unnoticed.  
  
"You know I don’t like bars.” Levi said dryly, trying to put an end to the conversation. “Bars are loud and dirty, and I’m not too fond of the idea of interacting with people I don’t know."  
  
“You’ll be fine,” Eren bargained. “You’re always more sociable once you’ve had a few drinks.”  
  
“Not happening, Eren. Every time I start being sociable, some sleazy bar skank makes her way over to our table, and by then I’ll be too drunk to give a damn until the next morning when I wake up with a migraine and some nameless chick in my bed. Just like last time. And the time before that.” Levi frowned at the thought his long list of drunken flings. It wasn’t exactly something to be proud of.  
  
“Hey, it’s not my fault you’re a slut!” Levi shot a glare at Eren, looking like he was trying to set him on fire with his eyes. The scowl would have intimidated just about anyone else in the world, but Eren just laughed and bumped Levi’s shoulder playfully with his own.

“Hanji, help me out here, will you?" Eren turned to the brunette sitting across the table, who was currently rubbing the lens of her thick rimmed glasses with a cloth.  
  
"Don’t be such a party pooper, Levi!" Hanji responded just a little too loudly, her voice easily filling the small room.  
  
For the life of him, Eren would never understand how Hanji had become Levi’s best friend. The two were polar opposites.

Hanji was very quirky, to say the least. She was abnormally loud and eccentric and had the type of overbearing personality that you’d imagine would scare people off, but seemed to have a way with humans that Eren couldn’t quite comprehend. For being as odd as she was, she seemed to be able to attract people, and could make friends with just about anyone she spoke to.  
  
Levi, unlike Hanji, did not enjoy the company of others. He was very picky about who he let into his life. Eren was lucky enough to be one of those people, though he suspected Levi had only initially gave him a chance because they were assigned as partners. Levi was quiet, cynical, and honestly downright scary sometimes, despite the fact that he was one of the shortest people working at the station. To his credit though, once he allowed someone into his life, he was the most loyal and honest friend a person could have. Brutally honest at times, but honest nonetheless.  
  
If anyone could convince Levi to spend the night at the bar rather than cooped up in his house all night, it would be Hanji. Hell, knowing her, she’d probably just force him there at gunpoint, which may very well be the only way to get Levi to socialize with anyone outside of the station for more than five minutes.  
  
"We’re celebrating, and that’s that," Hanji declared, placing her freshly-polished glasses back in their rightful place, resting them on the tip of her nose.

"What on earth made you think I would give you a choice in the matter?" She flashed an evil grin in Levi’s direction as he mumbled a string of profanities under his breath.  
  
"Oh quit your bitching." A voice drew their attention to the doorway as two other officers, Jean and Marco, walked into the room.

Jean and Marco, now that was another odd pair.

Jean meant well most of the time, but to put it simply, he was an ass. It was just in his nature. The guy didn’t have a filter and rarely noticed if he had said something to piss you off. Whether he was ignorant to that fact or just didn’t care Eren had yet to determine. He made up for his lack of social graces, however, with astounding intelligence.

  
Marco, on the other hand, might very well have been the most kind-hearted human being a person could meet. He saw the good in everyone and truly wanted to make a difference in the world, which is why he had decided to become a police officer. Eren was sure he would never fully understand why, of all people, Jean was the one Marco had fallen for. They had been going steady for over a year now though, and Eren couldn’t help but feel happy for them.

Jean sat down on Levi’s other side, leaning over to rest his arm on his shoulder. "How is it even possible to hate bars? There’s decent booze, shitty bar food, and I’m pretty sure you get laid every time you come with us. What’s not to love?”  
  
"Jean..." Marco shot a warning glance in his direction. Jean just smirked in response, and Levi shrugged the man’s arm off of his shoulder in disapproval.

"Anyway," Marco continued, taking a seat next to Hanji. "We were all planning on pitching in for your drinks tonight, so you have to be there!"

Marco flashed a smile, his eyes crinkling just a little at the corners, and suddenly Levi felt guilty for having turned them down.

“Oh, he’ll be there, won’t you, Levi?” Hanji crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back in her chair, lifting an eyebrow at Levi expectantly.

  
Levi sighed, reaching across the table to muss Hanji’s hair. "Remind me again why we’re friends?"  
  
"Because you love me!" Hanji smiled smugly in return as she smoothed out her hair, knowing from her years of experience with dragging Levi to public places that this was his way of admitting defeat.  
  
Levi just shook his head and stood, gathering his stack of papers and giving them a couple of quick _taps_ on the table to straighten them out. "Alright, brats, now that you’ve sufficiently pissed me off for the day, it’s time we got going."  
  
The others followed Levi’s lead as they stood and collected their equipment, filing out of the crowded room one by one. It was still early on in the day, but the mid-July sun rising slowly in the sky brought the promise of another scorching afternoon. Heat was rolling off of the asphalt in waves, and the air had already reached a stifling temperature.

Eren and Levi immediately fell into their typical morning routine, Eren setting up their equipment as Levi began the daily maintenance check on their car. Levi had always taken immaculate care of the cliché Crown Victoria that they were assigned when they had first started working together as partners, but Eren was never quite as attached to the vehicle as Levi was. The car was old, ancient feeling even, and honestly should have been retired years ago. The doors squeaked incessantly, no matter how many times Levi had coated the hinges with a thick layer of WD-40. The AC took _way_ took too long to kick in, especially in the blistering summer heat, and when it finally did, the air that was pushed into the car had the distinct smell of mildew. It was far from what one would call a luxury ride, but unfortunately, it seemed the department’s budget didn’t account much for the officers’ comfort.

Eren climbed into the passenger seat of the car, quickly rolling down the window so he didn’t boil alive, and started up their laptop. He also made sure to set up their radio and, of course, stashed a couple of snacks for the day into the glovebox.

“Hey, Eren!”

Eren recognized the voice immediately and looked from his laptop up to see its owner walking towards him.

“Oh, hey, Armin.” He smiled at the young man, genuinely happy to see him.

The blonde officer leaned forward, resting his elbows on the open window. Eren had to admire how much his best friend had changed since high school. He had hit a growth spurt when he had turned nineteen, though he was still shorter than average, and his hair had grown long enough for him to be able to tie most of it back in a ponytail, save for his bangs and a couple of loose strands in the back. He was still fairly thin, but the hours that he and Eren had spent training and working out together had left him well toned.

“Were you finally able to convince Levi to come with us tonight?” Armin asked hopefully.

“No, but Hanji did it. Well, more like she’ll drag him there kicking and screaming, but he’ll be there.”

Armin laughed as he imagined Hanji dragging Levi behind her like a disgruntled toddler throwing a tantrum. He was actually pretty surprised Levi hadn’t caved in to Eren days before they had been forced to get Hanji involved. He knew Levi would never admit it out loud, but Armin had a knack for reading people, and could see the fondness in Levi’s eyes whenever the younger male was around.

“Hey, you missed briefing this morning, everything alright?” Eren couldn’t remember Armin missing a single briefing since they had been hired at the station almost three years ago.

“Yeah, everything’s good. Great actually! I put in a request for some new equipment for the surveillance van. Most of it is pretty outdated. Commander Erwin was just letting me know he would look into some upgrades for me!” Armin’s eyes lit up with excitement as he explained the details to Eren.

“You’re such a nerd, Arm.”

“Ew, don’t call me that,” he said, scrunching his nose at the word. “You know I hate that nickname.”

“Which one, ‘Nerd’ or ‘Arm’?”

“I’m going to punch you,” Armin said, unamused with Eren’s poor attempt at teasing.

“Alright, alright, whatever you say.” Eren raised both of his hands in mock self-defense, but winked at his friend anyways. Armin let out an exasperated sigh as he rolled his eyes and waved goodbye, turning and walking off towards where Jean and Marco were saying their own goodbyes.

Eren had to admit, Armin and Jean made a damn good team. They were without a doubt the two smartest officers their small city had ever seen, and the brilliant duo had saved his ass on more than one occasion. Eren had even considered the odd thought that the two might have made a cute couple, that is, if Jean hadn’t fallen so hard for Marco.

“You ready to go?” Levi asked, pulling Eren out of his train of thought as he sat down in the driver’s seat and closed the door with a loud _creak._

Eren nodded his head, checking one last time to make sure all of the equipment was set up properly. Levi turned the key in the ignition, the engine sputtering and coughing itself to life, and the two set off, determined to get their Friday over with.

  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

"Oh God, am I supposed to start calling you 'Sir' now?" Eren grimaced as he shoved another pretzel into his mouth. “I’m not doing it.”

"Shut up, brat,” Levi said, rolling his eyes at Eren’s straightforward, stubborn attitude. “Nobody is calling me Sir, or Boss, or anything else. Plus, we’re still going to be partners, so things won't be any different between us. Now stop talking with your mouth full.”

Eren chuckled and made a point to loudly crunch down on his next pretzel. Levi was always lecturing him for one thing or another, but Eren was used to it by now after years of working with the man.

It had been an unnaturally slow day. It was already five o’clock, and with only an hour and a half left of their shift, Eren found himself itching for some action. He knew that was terrible. Action meant someone could get hurt, maybe killed, but Eren couldn’t help himself as he yawned for possibly the hundredth time today.

“You want to stop and grab a coffee?” Levi asked, catching Eren’s yawn out of the corner of his eye and yawning in return.

“Yeah, good plan,” Eren agreed, “Let’s stop at Connie and Sasha’s place, I want one of their donuts.”

“Seriously? How stereotypical can you be?” Levi groaned but turned the car in the direction of the little café owned by their friends anyways.

The shop was just down the block from the police station, so most of the officers frequented it often. The owners, Connie Springer and Sasha Blouse, had gone to college with Eren, and had opened up the shop right after graduating. It really was a fantastic little place. It had a cozy, welcoming atmosphere, and the coffee, of course, was great, though Levi usually preferred a hot cup of tea. They also sold a variety of pastries and sweets (and even though Levi hated to admit it, the donuts were amazing). Plus, they had a “Fifteen percent off for anyone in uniform” policy.

They were about a minute away from the coffee shop when a voice came crackling through their radio.

"All units report..." Levi turned his attention to the device, cranking up the volume as the female dispatcher began relaying the details of their next assignment.

“Roger that, we’re on our way,” Levi replied, “Well, I guess we’ll have to make do without the coffee.”

"Yep. Bank robbery, huh? We don’t get that one too often," Eren noted.

Levi nodded his head in agreement as he flipped on the sirens and sped down the road towards the incident. The address the dispatcher had provided was all the way across town, and even at the speed they were going it would probably take them at least fifteen minutes to get there. Eren sat as patiently as he could, trying hard to hide the excitement he knew he wasn’t supposed to be feeling right now.

He definitely didn’t need that coffee anymore.

  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

Armin and Jean were already at the scene when Eren and Levi pulled up, which was no surprise. Being that they had unofficially been dubbed SMPD’s genius tacticians, they were usually the first ones to respond during a big scene like this, and were always the last to leave.  
  
"Eren!" Armin called out, waving them over to towards the sleek, black van he and Jean were in charge of. Levi quickly put the car in park and the two jumped out, rushing over to where Armin was discussing the details of their plan with Commander Erwin. It looked like Hanji had responded to the call as well, because she and her partner Reiner Braun were standing off to the side, waiting for directions, by the looks of it.  
  
"Alright nerd, what’s the plan?" Eren asked, walking straight up to Armin and throwing an arm over his shoulder.  
  
"Do you ever take things seriously?" Armin huffed, wriggling out from underneath Eren’s arm and straightening his uniform.  
  
“Alright, here’s the deal,” Armin said, regaining his focus and leading the group of officers towards the back of the van where Jean was sitting in front of an array of computer monitors. Each screen displayed a different view from all around the building, both inside and out.

Armin began explaining the details of their plan. Based on witness statements and what surveillance cameras had shown, there were two gunmen and seven hostages. The hostages, including the bank manager, two tellers, and six bystanders, were being held in one of the back rooms. Apparently, after failing to get access to the large safe in the room, the gunmen had changed course, locking themselves in along with the hostages and demanding ransom.

Reiner and Hanji would enter through the front of the building and maneuver down a couple of hallways to the front entrance of the room. Eren and Levi would take the back entrance, going around the outside of the building. Armin pointed out the exact paths they would each be taking on one of the many computer screens. From there, they would simultaneously enter the room through their respective doors, take down the gunmen, and make sure that none of the hostages were hurt in the process.

“These are for you,” Armin said, holding a hand out to reveal four sets of earbuds and allowing each officer to grab one and place it in their ear.

“Hanji and Reiner, Jean will be on the other end of your ear pieces. He’ll get you to where you need to be and keep you in the loop about what the suspects are doing so you know what to expect when you enter the room. I’ll be in charge of doing the same for you two.” he said, looking at both Levi and Eren. “We’ll be watching through these surveillance cameras the whole time. It’s our responsibility to get you guys in and out of there in one piece.”

Armin knew there was a lot riding on his shoulders during jobs like this, and along with that responsibility came the inevitable anxiety. His friends’ lives were being placed solely in his hands. One wrong move or overlooked detail could be detrimental to the whole team. Though he had been doing this for a few years now, Armin still couldn’t help the nervousness that creeped up on him as he watched his friends jump into action, following his orders. Eren knew how brilliant Armin was though, and had always trusted him wholeheartedly.

“You always do,” Eren said, gripping Armin’s shoulder and smiling at him encouragingly.

Armin looked up into Eren’s eyes and nodded with confidence, grateful for the reassurance his friend always seemed to provide at just the right moment.

“I’m counting on you guys,” the Commander finally spoke up from behind them and the officers all turned to face him. “You are some of the best teams this city has. If anyone can get those hostages out alive, it’s you. I have faith that Armin and Jean know what they are doing. Put your trust in them, and come back alive.”

“Yes, sir!” They responded in unison, and, just like that, the mission was on.

  
The two teams started towards the building together, fully focused and guns at the ready. As they neared front entrance, they split off.

“See you on the other side!” Eren called out, watching as Hanji and Reiner cautiously entered through the front doors.

Levi and Eren continued on their path towards the back door of the building that lead directly into the room where the hostages were being held. Levi peeked around the corner, making sure they were in the clear before slowly approaching the door, Eren right behind him.

“Alright,” Armin’s voice echoed through their ear pieces. “We need you guys to be perfectly in sync here, otherwise we risk blowing our cover or losing the hostages. One of the suspects is standing right inside the doorway. On the count of three, kick the door in as hard as you can. You might be able to take him out if you kick hard enough.”

“Can do,” Levi replied.

“Alright, Hanji and Reiner are in position. Are you guys ready?”

Both officers confirmed that they were, and Levi readied himself to kick the door in.

“Okay, here we go. One, two, _three_!”

Levi slammed his foot against the solid steel door and it crashed open, sending a strong vibration traveling up his leg. The man standing just inside the doorway was immediately knocked to the ground, just as Armin had predicted, his gun flying forward out of his hand at the force of the collision. The door on the opposite side of the room was flung open as well, and Reiner and Hanji rushed into the room.

Levi easily took control of the suspect on his side of the room, pressing his gun to the fallen man’s head to keep him from moving and kicking the man’s gun out of reach, but the suspect on Hanji and Reiner’s side of the room had not been knocked over like his friend. The man turned and fixed his weapon on Hanji and began firing, but she reacted with lightning-fast reflexes and flattened herself on the floor to avoid the shots. Eren sprang forward, tackling the man full force and slamming him to the ground, pinning him down with the full weight of his body.

Reiner walked over to where Eren had the man restrained and kicked the gun out of his hand, cursing under his breath.

“You ok, Hanji?” He asked, offering his hand forward to help pick his partner up off of the ground.

“Yep, I’m good. Thanks partner!” She said, grabbing hold of his hand and pulling herself to her feet, not seeming at all phased by the confrontation.

“Eren, behind you!” Armin’s voice shouted through the ear piece, and Eren turned as one of supposed hostages, a woman who had looked like she’d been gagged and bound just like the people sitting next to her, pulled out a gun.

The sound of gunshots filled the room for a second time, and Eren closed his eyes instinctively, readying himself for the pain to inevitably tear into him at any moment. A few seconds passed, but the pain never hit, and Eren slowly opened his eyes to see the woman fall over limply to her side as the real hostages screamed through their gags.

Levi, who had made the split second decision and stopped the third gunman, already had his gun pressed to the back of the other suspect’s head again.

“God, that was close.” Eren’s heart was beating much faster than normal, and he took a few deep breaths as Reiner helped him slap a pair of handcuffs tightly around the wrists of the man he was still pinning to the ground.

Hanji helped the hostages one by one, removing their gags and binds and reassuring each person that it was over and that everything would be okay.

After each hostage had been released and led outside, Hanji and Reiner took responsibility of the two living suspects and led them out through the front door and into custody. Eren and Levi were left alone in the room, save for the woman lying dead on the ground.

“Stupid bitch.” Levi crouched down, getting a good look at the woman’s face. She was young, probably in her early twenties, and surprisingly beautiful, despite the thin stream of blood leaking from her mouth. Levi had to wonder what terrible things must have happened to cause a woman like this to fall in with such a bad crowd. It was a thought that had crossed his mind before during jobs like this, but he settled on the same answer he always did. _Some things are better left unknown._

Levi stood, not wanting to look at the face of the woman he had killed any longer, and Eren walked over to him, resting his hand lightly on his partner’s shoulder.

“You saved my life. It couldn’t be helped,” he said quietly.

Levi nodded, finally holstering his gun. “Arlert, thanks for looking out for us.”  
  
“Of course, Levi,” Armin replied. “I’m just glad you guys weren’t hurt.”  
  
“It’s all thanks to you, Arm,” Eren called back through his ear piece. “How many times have you saved my ass like that now? Six? Eight?”  
  
“Eleven actually, but who’s counting?”  
  
Eren couldn’t help but let out a laugh, despite the scene around them. “Eleven, huh? Well, it sounds like I owe you another drink tonight.”  
  
“I’ll have to take you up on that. The medics are checking all of the hostages right now to make sure they are okay, and then they are going to come pick up the body. You guys hang out until they get there, and then hurry your asses back out here.”  
  
“Alright, see you in a sec, buddy,” Eren said, pulling his ear piece out and pocketing it.  
  
Eren walked over and pulled open the door they had come in through, pausing for a moment to the let the warm evening air ease his nerves as the adrenaline slowly faded from his body. The sun had begun to set, painting the sky with an ocean of reds and oranges and yellows. He glanced back over his shoulder at Levi, who was leaning against the wall.

“Levi,” Eren started, getting his partner’s attention. “Thank you again. I hate to admit it, but for a moment there I was-”

Eren’s words cut off as he saw Levi’s expression change suddenly, his eyes widening and focused on something beyond Eren. Concerned by the strange look, Eren whipped his head forward just in time to see a shadowy figure stepping out in front of him.

Eren didn’t have time to react, and his mind barely registered the deafening crack of gunfire as the man now standing before him emptied the contents of his gun point blank into Eren’s gut.

Eren couldn’t move. He tried to will his body to react, to grab for his gun, or to push the man away. Something. Anything! If he could just move his arms, he could fight back! But the connection between his brain and body seemed to disintegrate as agonizing pain ripped through him in waves.

He stared into the eyes of the man looming in front of him. He had never seen eyes like that before. These were the eyes of a man- no, a creature- who had given up all hope. A creature who had nothing left to lose. These eyes were the eyes of a murderer. A murderer with his next victim right in his grasp.  
  
“Eren? Levi? What was that?” Levi heard Armin’s frantic question through the device in his ear, but his mind couldn’t formulate a response as he stared in disbelief as Eren dropped to his knees, the life draining out of him through the bullet holes in his stomach.  
  
It didn’t take more than a fraction of a second, however, for Levi to snap back into reality, snatching his gun out of its holster. This wouldn’t be the first time he killed someone. Hell, it wouldn’t even be the first time _today._ Killing people was an unavoidable part of his job, but he had always felt a small bite of remorse afterwards. No matter how evil or disgusting the person on the receiving end of the bullet was, it never felt good to take another human’s life.

This time was different, though. Levi would enjoy every fucking second of this. He would savor every pained expression on the miserable bastard’s face as Levi did to him exactly what he had done to Eren. Fury sparked a fire inside of him as he took aim, letting the one thought consume every fiber of his being as he pulled the trigger.

 _This bastard is fucking dead!_  
  
_*Click*_

_What?_

Levi’s gun misfired.

_No, not now!_

His gun had never once misfired in his entire career as an officer. Seven years. Why now? Why in this moment, when some bastard was blowing holes in his partner’s stomach, would his gun not fucking work?  
  
Levi, now weaponless, watched in horror as the man took aim once again, raising his arm to press the tip of his gun to Eren’s forehead. A poisonous grin spread across the man’s lips as he looked down at Eren, and it made Levi’s blood run cold.

“Please…”

Levi heard the desperate plea escape Eren’s lips, and the strangled whisper all but broke him inside. Was this all he could do? Was he supposed to just stand here, watching and listening as his friend begged for his life? No. He couldn’t let this happen. Not to his partner. Not to Eren.

Levi lunged forward, determined to stop this from happening. He had to protect Eren, fuck the consequences!

He watched as the man pulled his finger back on the trigger, and a single gunshot sounded off into the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed Chapter 1! Chapter 2 should hopefully be uploaded within the next week :3
> 
> This is my first fic, so please leave a comment or shoot me a message on tumblr if you have any suggestions!
> 
> Thanks, loves!
> 
> @the-lady-of-lothlorien


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY! Chapter 2 is here! I'm sorry I took so long to update! I want to say thanks to my lovely Beta Reader, Mari (@haganenoheichou), and to everyone who read Chapter 1!

_This isn’t happening. This is all just a dream. A really shitty dream, and I’m going to wake up any minute now._

He’d had these types of dreams before. He would be forced to watch as his friends were tortured or killed right in front of him, and he was always powerless. Powerless to stop their pain. Powerless to protect them. It wasn’t uncommon for someone in his line of work to lose sleep over nightmares like this, but that’s all it ever was. Just a dream.

This time, however, as Levi watched the man press the barrel of his gun to Eren’s forehead, it was not a dream, and Levi’s vision clouded with anger as he threw himself forward, plowing into the man the same second the shot rang out.

For a brief moment, Levi was flooded with a sense of relief, thinking that he had made it in time. Eren was still in trouble, but at least he wouldn’t have to suffer any more pain at the hands of that psychotic bastard.

The agonized cry that ripped from Eren’s throat shattered the short lived fantasy, though, crushing all hope that Levi had left as reality began to sink in.

He had been too late.

The screams that echoed through the air now were Levi’s, and Eren watched as his partner slammed shoulder-first into the gunman, his face twisted into an expression full of rage and anguish. The two men crashed onto the asphalt outside, leaving Eren kneeling in the doorway, gasping for breath.

Eren couldn’t pinpoint where the pain was coming from anymore. Pain was everywhere, radiating through every inch of his body and into his core. He glanced down, and time seemed to halt as he watched the thick blood leaking from his body drip by drip, forming a pool at his knees. He brought his hand to his stomach, touching his fingertips to one of the many tears in the fabric, and stared in awe at the red that covered his hand as he pulled it away.

Eren would have thought he was in a dream if it hadn’t been for the intense pain keeping him tethered to reality.

He was still on his knees, trying to keep himself upright despite his wounds. From this position, Eren was able to stare out at the sunset through the open doorway. The sun had just dipped under the horizon, exchanging the bright red and orange hues for a darker pallet of blues and blacks, like some sinister metaphor for Eren’s life, or what was left of it, anyways.

This situation finally proved to be altogether too much for Eren, and his body gave in to the pain and exhaustion. He fell backwards, smacking his head on the tiled floor beneath him.

“Ow…” He muttered, purely out of instinct. Considering the number of holes riddling his body, the pain from hitting his head hurt no worse than a bug bite.

Somewhere in the distance he could hear screams. Furious, vengeful screams; the screams of a friend who still fighting to save both their lives.

_God, I’m fucking useless._

He had let his guard down, and it was going to cost him his life. It had been a rookie mistake, really. He should have stayed alert, and he definitely shouldn’t have put his gun away before he made sure they were in the clear. He was more than willing to pay for his own mistake, but now his partner was paying for it too, and he couldn’t do anything besides lay there and bleed out. What kind of shitty partner was he? What kind of friend was he? He really was useless.

That thought was more painful than all of the gunshot wounds put together.

Levi had always considered himself to be strong, but given the sheer size of the man in front of him, he was easily pushed back after tackling him. The two men now stood facing each other, both silently waiting and readying themselves for the other to make the first move.

Levi looked past the man and caught a glimpse of Eren. He was flat on his back, his body twitching unnaturally as he fought to stay alive. The image was enough to make Levi sick to his stomach, but he pushed his emotions to the back of his brain for the moment and focused his eyes on Eren’s gun, which was still tucked safely away in its holster. Getting his hands on that gun was his only chance at saving Eren, if it wasn’t already too late…

No, he couldn’t think like that right now. He would save Eren. Had to save him.

“You shot my friend…” Levi growled, his voice dangerously low.

“And?” The man sneered, grinning sadistically at Levi.

_And?_

_Now you fucked up._

“And I’m going to fucking kill you.”

Levi lunged forward again, but this time, instead of tackling the man, he darted around him and towards Eren. He reached his partner in a matter of seconds and knelt down, effortlessly freeing the gun from its holster, but a sharp blow from a boot to the stomach knocked him on his side. The gun slipped from his grasp, and before he could reach for it again, the man was on top of him.

The attacker grabbed roughly at Levi’s shoulders and slammed his back to the ground, pinning his arms beneath his knees. He threw a punch, and it connected solidly with Levi’s jaw, sending a sharp pain buzzing through his skull. The bitter taste of blood filled Levi’s mouth, but he gritted his teeth and turned his eyes back to his attacker just in time to see the man to swing again, this time slamming his fist into Levi’s cheekbone. His vision started going fuzzy around the edges as he struggled to remain conscious, and the man took the opportunity to lean forward and latch his sweaty hands onto Levi’s neck, gripping his throat like a vice.

Time seemed to slow down as Levi continued to struggle beneath the assailant. He clawed at the hands around his neck until he could feel blood coating his fingers, but the man kneeling above him only tightened his hold. Levi never would have imagined the last few moments of his life to turn out like this. He felt pathetic for not being strong enough to fight this man, but with his air supply cut off and his energy quickly slipping away, he knew he had lost.

_Maybe Hanji or Reiner will get the bastard._

Black spot began dotting his vision as he started to lose consciousness, when out of the corner of his eye he saw the small black object on the ground.

Eren’s gun.

One last rush of adrenaline jolted through his body, and Levi started thrashing violently beneath the man. One of his arms finally broke free from underneath the criminal, and Levi wasted no time throwing his fist forward to slam directly into the man’s face. He heard a loud snap, and more blood covered Levi’s hand as the man’s nose broke beneath his fist. The assailant shrieked in pain and immediately loosened his grip on Levi’s neck, giving him an opening.

It all happened in an instant, the feel of metal on his fingertips, the weight of the gun in his hand, the pressure of his finger on the trigger. The shot rang in Levi’s ears for a few seconds, leaving him a little disoriented, and the man went limp and dropped on top of him.

With an enormous amount of effort, Levi heaved the now dead body off of himself and flipped over onto his hands and knees, wheezing and coughing as his swollen throat took in as much air as it could manage. He lifted his head slightly and looked over at Eren, who lay a few feet away, his body now eerily still.

"Officer down! I repeat, officer down!" Levi called frantically through his radio, not waiting for a response as he rushed over to his partner. Levi was terrified of what he might see, recalling the disturbing scream after the last bullet had hit Eren. He knew if the bullet had hit where the gunman intended it to, Eren wouldn’t have been able to scream at all. He quickly gathered his wits and began inspecting Eren’s body, inhaling sharply once he found the wound. The shot had missed his forehead, just as Levi had suspected, but instead tore a hole through the right side of his chest.

Eren’s blinked rapidly as he gasped for air, his breaths short and erratic, and Levi heard the nauseating sound of what could only be blood gurgling in his throat.

"Eren, look at me! Stay with me, dammit!" Levi grabbed Eren’s face with both hands and turned his head towards him, probably a littler rougher than needed, until they were face to face.

With the little remaining energy he had left, Eren obeyed and lifted his eyes to meet Levi’s, but the second he did, he regretted it. Those steel blue eyes, which had in the past always hid Levi’s emotions so expertly, were filled with fear.

Fear.

Eren couldn’t recall a single situation since they had become partners where Levi had shown even shred of doubt or despair. Levi had always been the level-headed half of their two-man team: calm, precise, rational. Those unwavering eyes had become Eren’s lifeline in so many situations when his own rash instincts had threatened to take over. All he would have to do was look into his partner’s eyes, and he would know that things would be ok.

But not now.

Now, those eyes were filled with terror, and that scared Eren more than anything else. More than the gaping wounds dotting his abdomen and the hole in his chest. More than the crimson puddle of blood slowly growing larger and larger beneath him, now soaking his hair. Levi’s eyes gave him no comfort now. All they did was further confirm what Eren already suspected.

He was going to die.

The idea was almost too much for Eren to handle, and he felt his heart rate quicken as he tried to push the thought out of his mind. He took a deep breath in an attempt to calm down, but another wave of pain wracked his entire body, and an awful, gurgling mixture of gasps and coughs escaped his throat.

Searing pain was spreading through his lungs like wildfire with every uneasy breath, and every time he so much as twitched, his muscles felt like they were being torn apart. He felt pathetic. He couldn’t even function enough to breathe. Why couldn’t the bullet have just done its job and ended his life? Eren had never been a quitter, but he knew when he was fighting a losing battle. He choked on another breath, this time coughing up blood that splattered onto Levi’s normally immaculate uniform.

_Shit._

“L- Levi... your uniform..." Eren managed, his voice faltering as he slowly lifted his hand and pressed his fingers softly to the now blood-stained shirt. Levi would be pissed that he ruined it.

“Shut up, brat. I’m not worried about my fucking uniform. Just stay awake, okay?” Levi’s voice was sharp as he tried to hide the panic behind his words.

Eren dropped his hand back down to his side, the small amount of energy he had left quickly draining from his body. Levi pressed his own hand to Eren’s chest, which was trembling uncontrollably with every labored breath, as he felt for the faint thump thump of his heart beat.

“You’re going to be okay, Eren.” Levi promised. “Just keep your eyes on me.”

“Jesus Christ…”

Levi’s lifted his head and stared in the direction of the voice and found Reiner frozen in the doorway across the room, taking in the gruesome scene.

“Reiner! Go get help, now!” Levi’s voice cracked with desperation as he barked the order across the room, and Reiner wasted no time, turning on his heel and sprinting back out of the room.

Levi turned back to Eren and locked eyes with him once again. He had never seen the Eren cry before, but in this moment, his partner was fighting hard to hold back the tears that threatened to spill from his eyes.

“L- Levi… I know how bad it is…” Eren whispered, his voice barely audible as he tried to blink away the tears rapidly pooling in his eyes. “I know… I’m probably not going to make it out of this one…”

“Shut up,” Levi snapped, his tone again sounding harsher than he intended it to be. “Don’t say that. You’re not going to die, I won’t let that happen.”

Levi dropped his hand from Eren’s chest down toward his abdomen, but jerked back when Eren flinched at the touch. Blood was spurting from each of the small holes with every beat of his heart. Levi knew there was no way he could stop the bleeding on his own, and even worse, there was no way to ease Eren’s pain. If help didn’t get there soon, he was going lose him.

Levi returned his attention to Eren’s chest. He rested his hand back over Eren’s heart as gently as he could, not wanting to cause him any more pain, but the moment his hand stilled on his partner’s chest, Levi froze.

“Eren?”

Eren’s chest wasn’t moving up and down anymore. His eyes were still fixed on Levi, doing exactly as his partner had asked, but his normally vibrant emerald eyes were now dull and glassed over. And his heartbeat, the uneven, strained rhythm in his chest that moments ago had indicated that Eren still had some fight left in him…

…had ceased altogether.

“No! Eren!” The horrified scream pierced the silence in the room as Levi began to panic. He slammed both of his hands down onto Eren’s chest and began pumping a steady beat, trying to force the life back into his partner. There was a sickening crack, and Levi could feel the crunch beneath his palms as Eren’s ribs snapped under the force of his compressions.

“This can’t fucking happen! Eren! Please, Eren!” Levi’s voice sounded foreign to him as the words spilled from his lips.

“Levi!” Hanji burst through the door and scanned the room with her eyes.

“Levi, the paramedics are outside… oh God...” Hanji fell silent as she tried to comprehend the nightmare she had just walked into. The room was spattered with blood, covering the walls with a fair amount of the floor, along with her two friends. Eren was on the ground, and Levi was…

The realization hit her like a train and her mouth dropped open in disbelief.

“Oh my God… Eren…”

Levi whipped his head around and stared at Hanji, his wide eyes searching hers as if he could find an answer waiting there for him.

“Hanji, he’s not breathing!”

Levi’s was exhausted. His arms felt like they would give out at any moment, and his already strained lungs were burning even more intensely. He wasn’t sure how long he had been going at it, but the longer the seconds dragged on, the more Levi was forced to face the inevitable.

Eren was gone.

“Fuck!” Levi surged forward, gripping the fabric of Eren’s uniform and shaking him violently in a last desperate attempt to bring him back. “Wake up, dammit! Wake up! You son of a bitch, you can’t fucking die on me!”

“Levi! Stop, please!”

Levi slowly stopped shaking Eren, and his pleas faded into uncontrollable sobs as he buried his face into Eren’s chest, letting his tears soak into the bloodied uniform.

“No, Eren. Oh God, no. Please no!” Levi begged, his voice barely even a whisper. He pinched his eyes shut, as if he could block out the horrible reality. “Please, please come back!”

Hanji took a step forward. “Levi, please-”

The sound of the front door crashing open cut her off, and two men rushed into the room, bringing a stretcher and a defibrillator in with them. They pushed past Hanji and over to where Levi knelt, sobbing as he clutched tightly to Eren.

“Sir, we need to you to stand back.”

Levi slowly pulled his face away from Eren’s chest and stared directly into his unseeing eyes, making sure to memorize every last detail before reluctantly letting go and moving to the side to make way for the EMTs.

He watched as the men maneuvered around each other, calling out words that Levi vaguely recognized from his first aid training. They removed Eren’s uniform and prepped the defibrillator, pressing the pads from the machine to his chest and allowing it to analyze Eren. The machine ordered a shock, and the men stood back.

“Clear!”

Eren’s body jolted slightly, then went still again. The medics checked for a pulse and begun CPR while the AED charged for another shock.

“Clear!”

Another jolt. The EMTs checked for a pulse again, but still found nothing. Levi couldn’t watch anymore. He had to get out of this room. He couldn’t bear seeing any more failed attempts at bringing Eren back. Not after he had tried so hard himself to save him. He turned away from the men surrounding Eren and began walking towards the door, desperate to get out of there and away from this nightmare, but Hanji grabbed him by the shoulders. Levi lifted his gaze to meet hers, and in that moment Hanji could have sworn that all the agony in the entire world was held in those two eyes.

“Clear!”

Levi cringed as he heard the machine deliver another shock, and his grief all at once turned into rage. Why the fuck were they still going? Eren was dead!

Levi whipped back around. “Stop! Just stop, dammit! Can’t you see he’s fucking de-”

“I’ve got a pulse!”

Levi’s eyes widened. It wasn’t possible. He must have misheard. Eren had been dead for minutes now, there was no way he was miraculously back. Levi’s doubts threatened to swallow his remaining sanity, until his eyes caught the faint yet steady rise and fall of Eren’s chest.

“Eren?!” Levi staggered forward as the men lifted Eren onto the stretcher. After securing him, they hurried towards the door to the back where the ambulance was waiting.

The EMTs hoisted the stretcher up into the ambulance and climbed in alongside Eren. Levi, who had been following close by the whole time, took a step forward to pull himself up into the ambulance as well, but a hand on his shoulder prevented him from moving any further.

“I’m sorry sir, but we can’t allow you to ride with us.” A young looking man stepped forward, blocking Levi’s way into the vehicle.

A look of confusion spread across Levi’s face, but it quickly melted away into a much more dangerous expression. “I’m getting in this ambulance. I watched him get shot for fuck’s sake! I have the right to be in there!”

“I’m afraid we can’t allow that, sir. He is in critical condition, and we need to-,”

“Listen here, you son of a bitch,” Levi growled as he grabbed hold of the man’s collar, narrowing his eyes. “That man has been my partner for two years, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let some stupid fuck like you-,”

“Levi…” Hanji cut in, placing a hand gently on Levi’s wrist. “Every second we waste arguing about this is a second that could be used saving Eren’s life. Let them do their jobs. I’ll drive you over to the hospital right now.”

Levi held the man there for a few moments, as if debating his options, but reluctantly loosened his grip on the shirt, giving the man a little shove as he let go. The terrified EMT quickly hopped in to the back of the ambulance, shutting the doors behind him, and Levi watched as the vehicle drove off, the sirens slowly fading in the distance.

As soon as the sirens were out of earshot, Levi took off in the direction of his car, Hanji following right on his heels.

“Levi!”

Levi heard Armin call out to him as he rounded the front of the building, but he kept walking. He couldn’t face Armin right now. He could only imagine what the blond must be going through. He and Eren had been best friends since they had been toddlers, and Armin had just watched through a computer monitor as his best friend had gotten shot.

Armin caught up to Levi and grabbed his shoulder, holding him there for a brief, silent moment before speaking up.

“Levi, I saw…” Armin’s voice hitched, and tears began streaming down his face as he spoke.

“I saw what happened. I s-saw him on the ground, and y-you trying to…” Armin stumbled over his words as he tried to stay calm. “Erwin made me leave the van, I didn’t get to see if…”

His words trailed off again, and he hesitated before he continued. “Is he… Is he dead?”

Levi kept his head down, trying to hide the fact that his own eyes, which were still puffy and red from his earlier breakdown, were stinging with tears again. He owed Armin an explanation, he knew that, but Levi couldn’t seem to form an adequate response, so instead he shrugged the hand off his shoulder and kept walking, determined to get to the hospital as soon as possible.

“Levi?! Is he dead?!” Armin was frantic now as he desperately tried to get Levi’s attention. Levi continued to ignore him anyway, shoving his hand into his pocket and pulling out the keys to his car.

“He’s alive, Armin,” Hanji responded, shooting a scornful look in Levi’s direction. “We have to go right now, though. Honestly, I don’t know if Eren’s going to be okay, but I know we need to be there for him.”

Armin stood, his mouth hanging open as he searched for a response. After a moment, he sniffled and wiped away his tears with the back of his hand. “Alright, I’ll head over to the hospital with Jean right now.”

Hanji nodded, giving the young man a sympathetic smile, and Armin sprinted off towards his van. After Armin was out of sight, she turned back around to see Levi already sitting in the driver’s seat of his car.

Levi was fumbling as he tried to fit the key into the ignition, but his trembling hands couldn’t seem to stay still long enough for slide the key into the slot. He cursed under his breath and tried once again, his hands shaking more violently with every failed attempt, and the keys slipped from his hands and fell to the floor.

“Fuck!” Levi shouted, slamming his fists into the steering wheel.

Hanji finally decided that she had seen enough and walked over to the driver side door, opening it cautiously.

“Levi, I think you should let me-”

“Fuck you, Hanji, I’m fine!” Levi snapped, his voice still raw from the fight. It was as if he could still feel the grip of hands around his throat. He shook his head to get rid of the thought and picked the keys up off of the ground, attempting once more to place them in the ignition. All he cared about right now was getting to the hospital. He needed to make sure Eren was okay.

Levi grabbed for the door handle, wanting to shut Hanji out so he didn’t have to face her, but the brunette yanked the door open, her gentle demeanor disappearing in an instant.

“You’re not fine, Levi! Look at you, you can’t even hold your damn keys straight!”

Levi froze, taken aback by her words, but he kept his head lowered. Hanji’s voice was naturally loud, but she rarely shouted at people. He wanted to scream back at her. He wanted to tell her that he was fine and didn’t need any help, maybe even retort with some smartass comment or call her a name or two. Instead, he stayed still, shutting his eyes tightly and trying to hide the fact that his lower lip was quivering.

Hanji sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose beneath her glasses, and crouched down so she was at eye level with Levi.

“Come on,” she said, reverting back to her usual calm and caring disposition and placing a hand on Levi’s knee “You are in no condition to drive, not after what you just went through, and Eren needs us now.”

Levi hesitated for a moment, but he knew Hanji was right. There was no way he could drive them there safely, and the last thing they needed was to add two more bodies to the list of today’s injured.

Without saying a word, Levi slowly turned and stood from his seat. He took a step forward, and before he knew what was happening, Hanji took him in her arms, wrapping him tightly in a hug. It was a gesture that Levi normally wouldn’t accept, even from the woman who had been his best friend for so long, but Hanji realized as she held on to him that this wasn’t the same man she had grown up with. Levi was well known for his iron will. He was the man that nobody could break.

The man she was holding now was broken and defeated, just a shell of his former self.

Hanji walked Levi over to the passenger side of the car and helped him in, gently taking the keys from his unsteady hands and closing the door once he settled down in the seat. She hurried back to the driver’s side, hopping in and starting the car without a hitch. She glanced over at Levi one last time, and watched as a thin stream of tears streaked his pale cheek.

Hanji faced forward again to give Levi a little privacy, as much as she was able to give, considering they were sitting a few inches away from each other, and put the car into drive, pulling out of the parking lot and speeding off towards the hospital.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will try to update Chapter 3 a little quicker this time <3
> 
> Thanks for reading, loves!
> 
> @the-lady-of-lothlorien


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